The Field Guide To British Deer - BDS 60th Anniversary Edition

In this excerpt from the 60th anniversary edition of the BDS's Field Guide To British Deer, Charles Smith-Jones considers the noise they make

- CHARLES SMITH-JONES

Deer are generally quiet animals. Alarmed deer generally choose to depart unobtrusively but may issue a vocal warning to others of a potentially dangerous intruder in their vicinity. An observer who has been detected by an unseen deer may at least be able to identify it by the sound it makes.

The males of most deer species make characteristic calls during the rut. Females and young will maintain contact with each other using various bleating or piping calls.

Red deer

This species is characteristically silent apart from during the rut. During the rut the stag roars, especially around first and last light. The sound resembles the bellow of a bull but with a deeper intonation, and usually ends with several grunts. Woodland stags often give a single resonant groan at long intervals. During the rest of the year the stag may make a rare warning bark if alarmed, and grunts when troubled by flies.

The hind likewise makes little sound except for a gruff bark to her calf when returning to it. She may also make a more frequent nasal call, and utters a crisp warning bark if suddenly disturbed or unsure of a potential threat that she cannot identify.

The calf has a high-pitched bleat and screams if alarmed.

Sika